James Franklin, Ji’Ayir Brown preview tough road trip to Iowa City
Penn State hits the road in Week 6, taking its undefeated record and No. 4 AP Poll ranking into Iowa City to face No. 3 Iowa.
Saturday’s game in Kinnick Stadium will be an incredible matchup for both sides as the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes are both searching for an early-season statement. Iowa has separated itself as the B1G West favorite but Penn State will need a win with the B1G East proving increasingly challenging.
One of the topics James Franklin addressed Wednesday was the work of new OC Mike Yurcich. Franklin indicated he has not been surprised by the work of Yurcich, but the OC’s ability to be intense and creative has impressed him.
Safety Ji’Ayir Brown also met with the media after Wednesday’s practice. Brown, who leads the team with 3 interceptions, discussed the challenges of dealing with crowd noise in Kinnick Stadium and the relationship he has formed with Jaquan Brisker.
Franklin notes that special teams is a great way for King to get more involved, similarly to how Grant Haley earned playing time early on in his career.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 6, 2021
Franklin on getting his team ready for in-game adjustments: “I don’t know if we necessarily want them to know that, we [coaches] would just manage that…Being on the road has elements…But I don’t really want the players to be concerned with that.”
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 6, 2021
Franklin says nothing has really surprised him about Mike Yurcich thus far. He’s been impressed with several things, however, including his creativity and intensity.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 6, 2021
“I think we’ve got two of the best safeties in college football,” Franklin added about Brown and Jaquan Brisker.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 6, 2021
Brown on forcing turnovers against Iowa: “Iowa’s currently leading right now. It’s a great opportunity for us to put on a show for the fans.”
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 6, 2021
With speakers, NOT leaf blowers. We’ll see how well that matches the noise at Kinnick Stadium Saturday afternoon.
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 6, 2021
Brown on his relationship with Jaquan Brisker: “We brought this chemistry from Lackawanna…There’s kind of a telepathic thing with us. We just know where each other are gonna be”
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 6, 2021
Iowa is never easy to take down in Iowa City, but Penn State has conquered the task before. The Nittany Lions won close games in Kinnick Stadium in 2017 and 2019. Can they do it again in 2021?
